"There is no doubt but the fenfe of " what this nation hath suffered from the pre" fent bishops, hath produced these complaints; and the apprehensions men have of fuffering the like, in time to come, make fo many defire the taking away of episcopacy: "but I conceive it is poffible that we may not, "now, take a right measure of the minds of "the people by their petitions; for, when

they fubfcribed them, the bishops were ar"med with a dangerous commiffion of mak"ing new canons, impofing new oaths, and the "like; but now we have difarmed them of "that power. These petitioners, lately, did "look upon episcopacy as a beaft armed with "horns and claws; but now that we have

cut and pared them, (and may, if we fee "cause, yet reduce it into narrower bounds) "it may, perhaps, be more agreeable. Howfoever, if they be still in paffion, it becomes us foberly to confider the right use and antiquity thereof; and not to comply further "with a general defire, than may stand with a general good.

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"We have already fhewed, that epifcopacy, " and the evils thereof, are mingled like water " and oil; we have alfo, in part, fevered "them; but I believe you will find, that our "laws and the prefent government of the "church are mingled like wine and water; "fo infeparable, that the abrogation of, at leaft, a hundred of our laws is defired in "these

This fpeech has been retrieved, from a paper printed at that time, by the writers of the Parliamentary Hiftory.

"these petitions. I have often heard a noble "answer of the Lords, commended in this "house, to a propofition of like nature, but "of lefs confequence; they gave no other " reafon of their refufal but this, Nolumus mutare Leges Anglia: it was the bishops who so answered then; and it would "become the dignity and wisdom of this "house to answer the people, now, with a "Nolumus mutare.

"I fee fome are moved with a number of "hands against the bishops; which, I con

fefs, rather inclines me to their defence: for "Ilook upon epifcopacy as a counterscarp, or "out-work; which, if it be taken by this af"fault of the people, and, withall, this myf

tery once revealed, That we must deny them nothing when they afk it thus in troops, we may, in the next place, have as hard a task to defend our property, as we have lately "had to recover it from the Prerogative. If, by multiplying hands and petitions, they prevail for an equality in things ecclefiaftical, the next demand perhaps may be Lex Agraria, the like equality in things tempo<< ral.

"The Roman ftory tells us, That when the people began to flock about the fenate, and were more curious to direct and know what "was done, than to obey, that Common"wealth foon came to ruin: their Legem ro

gare grew quickly to be a Legem ferre; and

after, when their legions had found that "they could make a Dictator, they never suf"fered the fenate to have a voice any more in fuch election.

"If these great innovations proceed, I "fhall expect a flat and level in learning too,

well as in church-preferments: Honos "alit Artes. And though it be true, that grave and pious men do ftudy for learning"fake, and embrace virtue for itself; yet it "is as true, that youth, which is the feafon "when learning is gotten, is not without am"bition; nor will ever take pains to excel in sc any thing, when there is not fome hope of "excelling others in reward and dignity, "There are two reafons chiefly alledged "against our church-government.

First, Scripture, which, as fome men "think, points out another form.

"Second, The abufes of the present fupe

"riors.

"For Scripture, I will not difpute it in "this place; but I am confident that, when

ever an equal divifion of lands and goods "fhall be defired, there will be as many places "in Scripture found out, which feem to fa"vour that, as there are now alledged against "the prelacy or preferment in the church.

And, as for abufes, where you are now, in "the remonftrance, told, what this and that

poor man hath fuffered by the bishops, you "may be presented with a thousand inftances "of poor men that have received hard mea"fure from their landlords; and of worldly goods abused, to the injury of others, and difadvantage of the owners.

"And therefore, Mr. Speaker, my hum"ble motion is, That we may fettle men's "minds herein; and, by a queftion, declare

our

"our refolution, to reform, that is, not to abolish, Epifcopacy."

It cannot but be wifhed that he, who could Speak in this manner, had been able to act with spirit and uniformity.

When the Commons began to fet the royal authority at open defiance, Waller is faid to have withdrawn from the house, and to have returned with the king's permiffion; and, when the king fet up his ftandard, he fent him a thousand broad-pieces. He continued, however, to fit in the rebellious conventicle; but

fpoke," fays Clarendon, "with great sharp"nefs and freedom, which, now there was

no danger of being outvoted, was not re"ftrained; and therefore used as an argument against those who were gone upon pretence "that they were not fuffered to deliver their opinion freely in the house, which could not be believed, when all men knew what liberty Mr. Waller took, and fpoke every day with impunity against the fenfe and "proceedings of the house."

Waller, as he continued to fit, was one of the commiffioners nominated by the parliament to treat with the king at Oxford; and when they were presented, the king faid to him,

Though you are the laft, you are not the "loweft nor the leaft in my favour." Whitlock, who, being another of the commiffioners, was witness of this kindness, imputes it to the king's knowledge of the plot, in which Waller appeared afterwards to have been engaged against the parliament. Fenton, with equal probability, believes that his attempt to promote the royal caufe arofe from his fenfibi

lity of the king's tenderness. Whitlock fays nothing of his behaviour at Oxford: he was fent with several others to add pomp to the commiffion; but was not one of thofe to whom the trust of treating was imparted.

The engagement, known by the name of Waller's plot, was foon afterwards discovered. Waller had a brother-in-law, Tomkyns, who was clerk of the Queen's council, and at the fame time had a very numerous acquaintance, and great influence, in the city. Waller and he, converfing with great confidence, told both their own fecrets and those of their friends; and, furveying the wide extent of their conversation, imagined that they found in the majority of all ranks great difapprobation of the violence of the Commons, and unwillingness to continue the war. They knew that many favoured the king, whose fear concealed their loyalty; and many defired peace, though they durft not oppose the clamour for war; and they imagined that if those who had these good intentions could be informed of their own ftrength, and enabled by intelligence to act together, they might overpower the fury of fedition, by refusing to comply with the ordinance for the twentieth part, and the other taxes levied for the fupport of the rebel army, and by uniting great numbers in a petition for peace.

Lord Conway joined in the design, and, as Clarendon imagines, incidentally mingled, as he was a foldier, fome martial hopes or projects, which however were only mentioned, the main defign being to bring the loyal inhabitants to the knowledge of each other; for